Kimon the younger

Also spelled as 'Cimon' in various English text. The 'k' version gives the correct pronunciation in English compared to the Greek.

Kimon was the son of Miltiades, the well-known hero of Marathon, and of Hegesipyle, daughter of the Thracian king Olorus, and was also related to the historian Thucydides, from his mother's side.

His family being brought to Athens to flee the rampaging Persians from the Chaeronea area, he would have been about 20 years old. After his fathers death and being thrusted to the head of the family inheriting a fine to the state of 50 talents as well. Being somewhat new to the town an often looked down upon by the Athenians, he stayed close to home and with his sister. Stories of 'improper' behaviour of the two rumoured around Athens, but nothing more than rumours. No doubt the failure of his father's expedition to Naxos resulting in Athenian casualties and outstanding amounts due to the state, didn't make him a favorite of the Athenian people at this time, resulting in his 'stay at home' behaviour.

Luck changed for him and his family when Kallias II a wealthy Athenian offered to pay off his fathers debt in return for his sisters hand in marriage. His sister consented and Kimon gave his blessing. No doubt his behaviour even more amorous towards his sister now that she had brought wealth into the family.

When the ensuring battle of Salamis was forthcoming and Themistocles advised the Athenian people to forsake their city and country and to carry on the war from their ships. It was Kimon and his followers who ceremonially marched to the citadel, carrying a horses' bridle and exchanged it for a sailor's buckler, saying there was no more need for horses now but for marines, thereafter giving confidence to many of the citizens.

He preformed gallantly at the Battle of Salamis and afterwards obtained a great repute amongst his fellow Athenian citizens being praised for actions just as his father had done at the Battle of Marathon. When he now came forward in political life with help from Aristides the Just, the people welcomed him gladly, being now weary of Themistocles.

With the Persians being driven out of Greece, Kimon was sent out as admiral, while Athens was not yet dominant of the sea, but still followed Pausanians and Sparta. But together with Aristides the Just, they slowly ate away at Sparta's domination of the Asia Minor coastline. The Spartan's harsh rules were too much for the Ionian cities who were more inclined to follow Athens democratic ways. Even so Sparta viewed Kimon favourably, especially since they mistrusted Themistocles. Athens too knew of this and thought it advantageous to them and their affairs; as at that time they were just rising to power and wanted to add allies to their side. So they seemed not to be offended with the honor and kindness shown to him who at this time had the chief management of all the affairs of Greece.

When Sestos and Byzantium had fallen, and a great number of prisoners had been taken, the allies decided to let Kimon allocate the booty. He proceeded to put all the goods in one pile including everything the prisoners were wearing and in the other the naked prisoners. The allies complained that the allocation was not fair, Kimon asked them to pick whichever one they wanted. They were extremely happy to be able to claim all the goods, who wanted prisoners anyway, you needed to cloth and feed them. A little while after, the friends and kinsmen of the prisoners coming from Lydia and Phrygia, redeemed every one of the prisoners at a high ransom; so that by this means Kimon got so much treasure that he maintained his whole fleet of galleys with the money for four months; and yet there was some left to lay up in the treasury of Athens, (to ultimately be used in construction of the long walls) and all the while the allies were happy with their lot.

Going through Thrace to remove any of the last of the Persian influence, the following cities fell in quick succession, Sestos, Eion, Amphipolis, Thasos and Scyros, the whole of the Chersonese was now the property of Athens (no doubt using old friends from there to aid him). On Scyros he is said to have reclaimed the bones of Theseus and with them Kimon entered triumphantly back to Athens. Ever relenting, Kimon was always hot on the heels of the retreating Persian forces, before the barbarians could take breath and recover themselves, he was already at work, and places either revolted against Persia, voluntary gave up, or were forcible taken, either way the Persian forces continually moved further and further away from the Asia Minor coastline, until from Ionia to Pamphylia, it was clear of Persian soliders. The pressure build up of Persian forces lead to Kimon's finest victory at the Battle of Eurymedon. His continual harassment lead to the Peace of Kallias where it was understood (it seems that a treaty was never signed but agreed to by mutual consent) that Persia would not threaten the Greek world and Athens would not take Cyprus, Libya or Egypt, nor trouble Persia.

Kimon seemed well in position to be able to attack Macedon but for some unknown reason he did not venture further there. For failure to conquer Macedon, Kimon was tried in Athens in 463 B.C., and acquitted. Pericles, usually his most veriment opponent and one of the prosecutors in the case, seems not to have concerned himself too much with condemning Kimon for it.

Nevertheless, Kimon's rhetoric about the chivalry of the Spartans and reprimanding the Athenians who should aspire to be more like them, raised discontent within Athens and got him to some degree the hatred of the citizens.

In 462 B.C. an earthquake devastated Sparta and the Messenians wasted no time in advancing to destroy Sparta once and for all. The Spartans held them off but were in serious trouble, all but 5 buildings in the town had been destroyed and the Messenians greatly outnumbered them. Sparta sent a hearld to Athens to plead for help, only Kimon said that Athens should aid Sparta. Kimon was given a large force and he advanced to Sparta, twice in all. Athenians, marching through the Peloponnese would not have been a pleasant site for them to see, and friction was caused with Corinth who mentioned that before entering someones house it is courtesy to ask permission. Kimon replied along the lines 'that was funny considering that Corinth burst down the doors of her neighbours saying that all places should be open to the stronger'.

The Spartans had a change of mind once the Athenians presented themselves there, and sent them back. Spartan pride and maybe a bit of whispers in their ears by other Peloponnesian cities meant that Sparta had a change of heart and now viewed Athens as an enemy, so didn't want them to show weakness.

The banished Athenian army returning home were enraged by the insult, and Kimon was the most likely person to point a figure at, and around 461 B.C. Kimon was ostracised.

After a time Sparta went to the aid of Delphi by repulsing Phocians from there. On their way back to Sparta, the Athenians presented themselves with a design to fight them. Even though Kimon was still ostracised he came armed with his companions to aid Athens. The Athenians remembering why Kimon was ostracised did not allow him to join ranks with the army. He asked his tribe to behave themselves bravely as they were allowed to stay in the army. During the Battle of Tangara his companions, in total numbering about 100, fought so desperately with the enemy, that they got cut off from the main body and were all killed, leaving the Athenians in deep regret for the loss of such brave men, and repentance for having unjustly suspected them.

Accordingly, the Athenians, lead by Pericles did not long keep the severity towards Kimon, partly remembering upon his former services and partly as Athens was now on the verge of war with Sparta, they needed the services of one so well accustomed to military matters.

Once Kimon, returned to Athens he quickly put an end to the hostilities with Sparta, and reconciled the two cities. With peace established he realised that Athens being a war nation needed an enemy to set their sites on, lest they should get impatient and find reasons to march out against the Spartans again.

He equipped two hundred galleys with designs to make an attempt upon Egypt and Cyprus. Sixty ships went to the aid of the Egyptians to help them rebel against the Persians, the rest with Kimon went to liberate Cyprus.

It was at this time that Themistocles who was in great repute amongst the barbarians, having promised the Persian king to lead the army, whenever he should make war upon Greece, was called upon to help lead the Persian forces against the Kimon, however he abandoned all hopes of such an endeavor and committed suicide.

It was during this battle in Cyprus that Kimon was mortally wounded, he commanded that his condition should not be known by his fellow Greeks or the Persians. Soon after he died without any of the armed forces on either side knowing, thus his fleet safely returned back to Athens 'under command of Kimon'.

While Kimon was in command of the armed forces no letter carrier (mailman) nor horseman from Persia was seen within four hundred furlongs of the sea from the Asia Minor coastline. Without Kimon as the leader, the Persians would soon begin to impose what tribute they pleased on the Greek cities in Asia.